The Chosen
by Kurai Tenshi
Summary: After years of ignorance, the human race will finally learn more about the Aliens. But when this knowledge gets into the hands of the enemy, there's only one way to save it. *Status: COMPLETE*
1. Chapter One

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Alien. I just own all the characters, except for the ones in the movies.

_Author's Note_: It's my first Alien story! Yay! Er, anyway, I hope you enjoy this one. Yes, I know this plot is a bit unoriginal, but I like this sort of plot. A few things to note:

"blah blah blah" = ordinary speech

_blah blah blah_ = thoughts/thought voices (Alien speech)

blah blah blah = anything over radios, phones, other electronics

~~ blah blah blah ~~ = an event/series of events (like ATEs from Final Fantasy 9) that aren't from Gemini's POV but from 3rd person perspective

*          *          *

Chapter One

            I can't remember how it all began. All I know is that I was "chosen" to do this. I'm no ordinary human. I can understand the language of aliens. And not just any alien. _The_ Alien.

            Like I said, I don't remember much. It happened when I was five. All I remember was seeing my family die. Then… then I became one of them. In a sense. I didn't _look_ like them, of course. They were easily taller than me, especially Her Majesty. But they treated me like family. I was their link to the outside world. I spoke to them, for them, and amongst them. I was like a sister… but more than that as well.

            But I also knew of my heritage. Who wouldn't? I was the only one in the Hive that looked different. I was what Her Majesty called "human". I was human, part of the human race. I looked like that, at least. But inside, I held fast to my adopted race, my adopted family, because they were always there for me.

            So now, thirteen years later, I've put all my trust in them.

            Well, in most of them, anyway.

            "Kaylon! Kaylon, come back here! KAYLON!"

            Boots pounding hard against the metal floor of the abandoned medical laboratory, I raced after Kaylon. He was one of the Pack, as we call ourselves, and he enjoyed tormenting us younger members, even if we were only a few months younger. He liked taking our stuff and hiding them, then yelling about being falsely accused.

            That's why I was chasing him.

            "Kaylon, you idiot! Come back here!"

            _You know human insults don't work on me, sister._

            "I don't care! I want it back! It's mine, you know!"

            _Didn't your human mother ever tell you to share?_

            That's what I hated about him. He never saw me as one of them, but as a regular old human. He acted and spoke as if I wasn't part of the Hive.

            "Kaylon!!!"

            There was then a new thought voice: _Give it back, Kaylon._

            Kaylon sneered, then dropped the item he held. I rushed forward and picked it up. "Thanks, Zendrek."

            Zendrek stepped out from the shadows. He was taller than Kaylon by about five inches, and taller than me by about a foot. But I found more peace, more comfort in Zendrek than in Kaylon.

            _Kaylon, what did Mother tell you about stealing?_

            Kaylon sneered some more. _'Steal only from the humans.'_

            _Exactly._

            _But she is a human, goddammit!_

            _She's the Chosen. She's one of us._ Zendrek turned to look at me. _She may look human, but inside, she's Alien._

            _She's a _HUMAN_ for crying out loud! She doesn't even have a tail!_

            I glared at Kaylon. "Hey, it's getting there." It was true. Due to bioengineering, I was more Alien than human, really. I was growing a tail, which was dark but still a little short, but it would become whip-like when it was finished growing. I had a six-chambered heart, lungs twice the size of normal human lungs, and night vision. I could see, smell, hear, taste, and feel things better than ordinary humans could.

            _Okay,_ said Kaylon, _so what if you're _growing_ a tail. You don't have acid for blood, so there! You could never kill, anyway, with that puny body of yours. You're not even as tall as Timothy._

            Eyes narrowed, I growled at him. It was a weak, pitiful human growl, but the message is always the same. And so what if I wasn't as tall as Timothy? I was older, at least! Timmy was thirteen years younger than I was. He was the first Alien I saw to be born. He came from my father's chest, and that's why I was allowed to name him. Timothy. After my father.

            "So?" I said to Kaylon. "So what if I'm not like you in some ways? I'm still part of the Hive."

            Zendrek walked to me and nudged me away with his snout. _Let's go._

            I could almost feel Kaylon laughing. _Awww, isn't that cute? Zendrek and Gemini sitting—_

            "You know, Kaylon," I told my jeering 'brother', "for an Alien who despises humans a lot, you sure have picked up a lot of their habits." I looked right at him. "Like annoyance."

            _Ignore him, Gemini,_ Zendrek told me.

            I walked off with Zendrek behind me. When we were out of earshot (which is a long way for an Alien), I suddenly turned and kicked the wall of the Hive. "Geez! Who does Kaylon think he is, anyway?"

            _He's just jealous, that's all,_ Zendrek said. _He doesn't like the idea of a human being the Chosen. He was always a firm believer that the Chosen would be… like us._

            I glared at him. "Like you? Having a tail and an extra mouth and acid for blood?"

            _Yes._

            "And what about you? What did _you_ believe?"

            _I believed… I believed that whoever the Chosen was, that he or she would liberate us._

            "Honestly?"

            _Honestly._

            "…Thanks, Zendrek."

            "What!? There's no more food!?" I exclaimed as I opened up one of my favorite human coolers in the apartment complex. The only thing left was a can of fruit. "Only peaches…" I pulled out the can. "Oh well. Now, where can I find a can opener…?"

            Poorah, Timmy, and Keebler were waiting in the particular apartment's lobby. I returned to them with the can in my hand and my trusty knife in the other.

            _What's that, Gemini?_ Keebler asked.

            "Food. _My_ food. You can't eat 'em."

            _Aw, too bad._

            "Yeah, too bad. It was the last one, anyway, so we'll have to find another good one." I opened the can and popped a peach slice into my mouth. "Any ideas?"

            _There's a huge one downstairs. I think it's a place where humans gather to eat._

            "A cafeteria."

            _Right. A cafe… a cafe-what?_

            "Cafeteria."

            _Right._

            "I got what I came for. Let's go."

            Poorah interrupted. _Wait! I saw some rodents earlier in one of the rooms upstairs. They could be good food._

            I wanted to give her a strange look, but Poorah didn't know better. "My digestive system doesn't work with raw meat yet."

            _Well,_ said Keebler, _we better go, then. Mother says to bring you to the library to get some more books for your studies._

            I nodded, chewing on another slice of fruit. "Ah, yes, my studies. Always my studies."

            Her Majesty knows I am the Chosen—she knew I was the Chosen since I stepped into the Hive—and she knows I must learn all I can about the human world in order to successfully accomplish my mission. So, accompanied by one or more of my Pack members, I visit the library whenever I finish the books I had previously taken. I never return those books; no one lives there anymore, anyway. Her Majesty says that when I am ready, I will be introduced into the outside world.

            The human world.

            While Poorah and Timmy went back to the Hive, Keebler joined me on my visit to the library. We didn't bother using the door, because there was no door—one of the Soldiers who had been killed in this particular area had been killed against the door. His body acid quickly ate through the metal.

            Keebler and I stepped into the library. It was _huge_, with holobooks packed on every shelf. Keebler crawled away on the wall somewhere as I searched for a few holobooks in the human technology section.

            After a few minutes, I had gathered three holobooks worth reading and was heading for the computers when I heard Her Majesty's voice in my head.

            _There are humans, coming, Gemini. Go to Keebler and he will cover your back. Come to the nursery. You'll be safe here._

            I ran then. I ran and ran and ran. Somewhere along the way, I met up with Keebler, and we ducked into the vents. I could hear the humans coming, could feel their footfalls against the metal floors. I ran as silently as I could until we reached the junction.

            It was probably the worst mistake Keebler and I had ever made. At least Keebler could hide in the shadows. I couldn't.

            Panting slightly, I stared in shock at the group of heavily-armed humans in front of me. They were Marines. I could tell by their uniforms and armor. I was terrified. I had never met another human since I was five, and never a human with weapons. I wanted to cry out to Her Majesty, to Keebler (wherever he was), to Zendrek, or even to Kaylon. But I couldn't. Not yet.

            "What is it, Horrigan?" a commanding voice asked from around a corner.

            "It's… a girl," said the lead Marines. He had black hair, cold gray eyes, and a semi-automatic in one hand.

            "A girl?" The commanding voice's owner ran up from around the corner and stopped in his tracks. "You're right."

            "She's probably scared of us," said another soldier. "Do you think she's the only survivor, Sergeant?"

            "Maybe." The Sergeant stepped towards me. "Hey. We're only going to help you. Don't be afraid."

            How could I not be afraid? And how could I trust them? They were enemies of Her Majesty. So I dived. I dived and rolled into an air vent, then I got up and ran. I didn't go far, because a human soldier stunned me. They pulled me out of the vent almost immediately and helped me to stand. I immediately started struggling. They were going to take me somewhere, somewhere I didn't want to go, and I didn't want that!

            But it was too late, too late to call for help. I knew Keebler had run off to get help, but it would be too late. But my brothers and sisters would come. Oh, yes, they'd come, and they'd wreck havoc.

            I've seen it all too often in the past.

~~

            _What!? You let them take her!? I can't believe you, Keebler! You let them take her!_ Zendrek's angry thought voice echoed throughout the nursery. The Alien—one of the strongest, fastest, and smartest of the Hive—easily towered over Keebler when standing at his full height. Keebler was suddenly afraid that Zendrek would impale him with his tail or second mouth.

            _I-I'm sorry, Zendrek! I thought that getting more help would be smarter than fighting them alone._

            _You should have watched over her!_

            _But they had GUNS, Zendrek! GUNS! Gemini once called them semi-automatics and flamethrowers, I think. They'd rip us to shreds._

            Kaylon sneered. _You're a coward, Keebler. You know that? You're a coward._

            Zendrek was more direct. He grabbed Keebler's neck with his strong hands and snarled right in the younger Alien's face. _YOU LET THEM TAKE HER!!! She's the Chosen! Do you know what sort of mistake you made??? Gemini is the only one who can understand us. If they get her, they'd find out, and then they'd kill her! Humans are like that!_

            _So are us Aliens,_ said a new voice. Every being in the nursery turned to look at their mother, the Queen. _Zendrek, you shouldn't get all worked up about this. Remember—your thoughts should be mutual, like the rest of the Hive's thoughts. And since Gemini is the Chosen, this is her chance to carry out our plan._

            _Mother… do you think she is ready?_

            _I am certain. Gemini knows that she must inform the humans of our plan—to take over their species. So it is important you let her go._ The Queen almost smiled. _Just this one time, Zendrek, and I promise you I won't let her leave your side._

            Zendrek dropped Keebler and bowed his head to his mother, but at the same time blushing with embarrassment. Everyone knew he thought a lot about Gemini. _Yes, Mother._

            _But I have a plan. We must not let most of those humans leave knowing Gemini was found here, correct?_

            Kaylon was grinning maniacally. _Does that mean we get to eat tonight?_

            The Queen nodded. _Yes. Go now. Get us meat, my children. Get us meat._

            Kaylon crowed with joy. He jumped down from his perch and joined the rest of his brothers and sisters as they moved off to slaughter the humans. Zendrek watched them retreat into the tunnels of the Hive before turning to the Queen. _Do you promise, Mother, you'll make her one of us when this is all over?_

            The Queen smiled then. _Yes, Zendrek. But then and only then will I allow your feelings to control you._

            Zendrek bowed again. _Thank you, Mother._

~~


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

            The Sergeant—Pullman, he told me—leaned forward. "Tell me. What is your name?"

            I was sitting in one of the medical clinics, where the Marines were temporarily residing. Sergeant Pullman had decided to learn more from me and about me. But I told myself I would lie about everything he shouldn't know, or didn't need to know.

            And besides… I had forgotten my real name. "I don't know, sir."

            "You don't know your name?"

            "Yes, sir."

            "…Who's your family?"

            I knew he meant my human family. I couldn't remember much, except my father. "I can't remember, sir."

            "No one at all? No brothers, no sisters? No parents?"

            "My father, sir, and I only remember his first name."

            "Which would be…?"

            "Timothy."

            Sergeant Pullman started pacing. "How long have you lived here?"

            "Most of my life."

            "How old are you now?"

            "Eighteen."

            "Yes, you looked eighteen. …Are you the last survivor of this colony?"

            I wanted to say yes, but I knew I couldn't. "Maybe. I don't know much, sir."

            The soldier called Horrigan sat nearby. "Most likely amnesia, Sergeant," he said, his voice even and unemotional.

            "Yes, most likely," said the Sergeant. He turned back to me. "Do you have education, and if so, how much?"

            "Yes, and as much as anyone my age would." I raised my eyebrow. "After all, there _are_ libraries here."

            "You learned everything you know from holobooks? Who was your teacher?"

            "I taught myself."

            "Where are your parents?"

            I remained silent. I knew where they were, but I wanted to be stubborn. These people wouldn't hurt me in any way, and that I knew.

            "Where are your parents?" Sergeant Pullman repeated.

            More silence.

            The Sergeant was evidently frustrated. He walked off and stood in the distance, his hands on his hips.

            That's when Horrigan stood up and looked right at me. "It must be horrible," he said, "living here all alone, with no one to talk to." He took a wet towel and started to wipe the dirt off my face. I didn't know why, but I didn't move away like I had to one of the female soldiers when they tried to clean me up.

            "What would you know?" I asked him.

            "Hey, kid, _we're _supposed to be asking the questions." He put down the towel. "So Timothy is your father?" I nodded. "Where is he?"

            "Somewhere," I said. I truly did not know where he was.

            "When was the last time you talked with him, or saw him?"

            "Thirteen years ago."

            Horrigan shook his head. "What's happened since?"

            My eyes narrowed. The temperament of his particular human interested and annoyed me at the same time. "He's dead. So there. Now you know. Can I go now?"

            Horrigan put up his hands. "It's okay, we're here to help."

            "What can you do to help?" I demanded. "People have tried to help, and look where they've ended up." To emphasize this, I pointed to the direction of the nursery, which was located in an old power plant.

            "There are people there?" Horrigan asked, his eyes slightly widening and the tone of his voice indicating curiosity.

            "Yeah. Go and check if you want. Then you can join them."

            Our conversation was interrupted, however, when one of the female soldiers called out, "Hey, we got something on the motion tracker. Something… wait… lots o' things! They're comin' this way, an' fast!"

            Sergeant Pullman ran up to her. "How far are they, and how many of them, and how fast are they coming?"

            "They're, oh, twelve meters away, there's dozens upon dozens of 'em, and they're coming up faster than anything I've ever seen before on a motion tracker."

            My heart beat faster. They were coming to rescue me! So Keebler wasn't a stupid coward after all…

            "Eight meters, Sergeant!"

            I could almost feel them coming. They were above us, but I didn't dare say anything.

            "Four meters… geez! They should be right on top of us… but where are they?"

            Everyone started looking at the ceiling, and I took that moment to step back in to the darkness. I guess those who saw thought I was afraid.

            The Sergeant climbed up on a metal crate with his semi-automatic in hand. He opened the hatch for the air vents and pulled himself halfway up. He screamed, and there was a loud snarl. The Sergeant's body flailed for a moment before becoming still.

            Kaylon, no doubt.

            "Jesus Christ, what happened!?" a soldier yelled as the Sergeant's headless body fell to the floor. I was so used to seeing a sight like that that I wasn't startled at all.

            Then one of the Soldier Aliens—Jukan, I think his name was—jumped down from the air shaft and snarled at the Marines, who all had their guns leveled at Jukan's head. They fired, but Jukan ducked and leaped at one of the male soldiers. Several more Aliens came down—Kaylon included, and proceeded to attack the Marines.

            That's when I noticed someone was behind me.

            I turned around and saw Zendrek standing at my shoulder. He looked sad. "What is it?" I asked.

            _…Mother says this is your test. You must show the humans that we are to be their masters, that they will be our meat and our hosts and our slaves. Do you understand your mission, Gemini?_

            "…Yes."

            _Good luck, then._ He nudged the side of my head, the sign of affection among Aliens. I was almost frozen with shock. Zendrek practically kissed me! Of course, it wasn't the human way, because Aliens don't have lips, but it was the Alien way, and it held the same meaning. But then he jumped into the fray, and all surprise was gone.

            "Kid! Come on!" Horrigan yelled, grabbing my hand and firing a salvo at one of the Soldier Aliens. We ran out of the medical clinic with four others towards the hangar. Horrigan pushed me in a seat and ran to the cockpit, buckling himself up and grabbing the small ship's controls. An Auton—you could tell because she bled white goo—buckled me up and sat down next to me. When everyone was buckled up, the ship's jets roared, and we zoomed away from the Hive.

            I unbuckled myself and rushed to a window—one of the _only_ windows. I could feel tears in my eyes. I was leaving the Hive, leaving my family, leaving the Pack. I was leaving…

            I was leaving Zendrek.

            I almost screamed with frustration. It came out a whimper instead, but the feeling inside was the total opposite of it. I wanted to shatter the glass (I could do that, after all), but I restrained myself. Swallowing the pain of losing my friends and family, I sank to the floor and rested my head against the wall.

            "What's wrong, kid?" the Auton asked.

            "I have a name, you know," I growled, replying with an instinctive comment.

            "But… you said you forgot your name."

            "I…" I decided to lie. "I gave myself a name."

            She put her hand on my shoulder, but I drew away. "…What do you call yourself?"

            I hesitated, but I suddenly realized that if my family were to conquer the humans, they might as well know my given name. "I call myself…" I swallowed visibly. Lying was painful. It meant refusing everything. "I call myself Gemini."

~~

            The fight was over as fast as it started. Kaylon stood over the body of Sergeant Pullman and sniffed the air. _Five… no, six escaped. Gemini was one of them._ He looked at Zendrek, who was staring at the open door. _What do you think of that, dear brother?_

            Fayka, one of the female Aliens, growled at Kaylon. _Listen, Kaylon, he's in turmoil right now. Leave the poor guy alone._

            _Yes dear._

            _And don't call me that._

            _Yes de—sorry, ma'am._

            Jukan stood beside Zendrek. _What do you think, sir?_

            Zendrek looked at Jukan. Always the gentlemen, Soldiers were. They were polite to their species and extremely vicious to any other species. _Why are you asking me?_

            _You are, after all, one of the best leaders we have._

            _Oh, right… I think… I think we should leave those humans alone for the moment. We'll bring the killings to Mother, report to her our progress, and watch Gemini's progress from afar. That way we won't interfere with the plan unless we have to._

            _Good call, sir Zendrek._

            _Please, Jukan, don't call me 'sir'._

            _If you insist._

~~

*          *          *

_Author's Note_: Okay. So I've made the Aliens too human. _Too_ human? No one knows a lot about Aliens, right? So how are we to know if they don't have anger or grief or love? Hey, we're authors here! It's called poetic liscence. I understand that the Aliens are part of a hive—a colony, like bees and ants, and that bees and ants don't have individual thinking. Well, think of _this_ particular colony, _this_ particular hive, as a human royal court, where the queen rules and her soldiers and subjects do as she bids, but still maintain their individuality. Okay??? Thank you. Oh, and I'll also take this time to thank those individuals who were willing to believe an Alien can be 'too' human.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

            "Jesus…" a male soldier breathed, slumping down in a chair. "That was one hell of a fight."

            "You can relax when we get back to the station," said Horrigan, who was bandaging that soldier's arm. I noticed it had an acid burn on it.

            "Yes, Corporal."

            "Hey, Horrigan," the Auton said. "This girl… she calls herself Gemini."

            Horrigan stood. "Gemini?"

            "Yeah. Says she named herself cos she can't remember her real name."

            He looked right at me. "So you're Gemini…"

            I stared back as evenly as I could. "Yeah."

            "You don't have to be all stiff, Gemini. Remember—we're trying to help you." He cut me off before I could reply. "And I _know_ the people of the past tried to help you and failed, but we'll get you outta this damned hell-hole and we'll bring you to our base."

            "You can't escape them," I said quietly. "They're come for you like they came for your comrades… and they'll kill you. All of you."

            The injured soldier sat up straight. "Hey, kid, _you_ escaped them."

            "That's because they had no interest in me as food."

            "Oh?"

            "Oh."

            "They just… I dunno… left you alone like that?"

            I shook my head. "They didn't leave me alone. They…" I suddenly realized none of the Marines had seen my tail yet. I moved it slightly, just as a female soldier entered from the door behind me. She noticed it move, and dropped whatever she was carrying.

            "What is it, de Rio?" Horrigan asked, walking over to her.

            De Rio pointed to me. Or, at least, to what was attached to me. Horrigan and the rest of his surviving squad came over to look at whatever had startled the Marines soldier.

            It was the beginnings of my tail.

            "What the hell is that thing!?" the injured soldier yelled.

            "I… I don't know…" the Auton admitted.

            Horrigan was quick to issue orders. "Perigon, do an analysis on Gemini. De Rio, assist her. The rest of you… just calm down."

            I was led to a clean metal table and was ordered to sit down. I glared at Perigon—the Auton—and de Rio as they started analyzing me. It was weird. It felt like Her Majesty was about to do bioengineering on me again, but humans were doing it this time. And there would be nothing implanted in me to alter the way I looked.

            Or would there be?

            After a few moments of silence except for the monotonous beeping of several machines, Perigon turned to Horrigan. "She's bioengineered."

            "So she's not real."

            "She's real, all right, but her tail is… it's just… it's real too. But whatever makes it grow was implanted within her DNA, and now it's impossible to take it out. Her heart and lungs… they're almost twice the size of a human heart and human lungs. I don't understand why we didn't notice it before. She was able to run and run and not even _try_ to catch her breath. It's impossible, though. I don't know how it's done. There are no _scientists_ here that are living that we know of."

            I said nothing. If I had said, _There is one_, it would've been the end of my mission then and there.

            "So she's a superhuman. What's up with that?" asked one of the uninjured male soldiers.

            "It's just… weird."

            The moment she said 'weird', I felt something strange in my shoulders. I instinctively reached up under my jacket to feel my shoulders, and I almost gasped with surprise. My eyes definitely showed it, though.

            "What?" de Rio asked me. I hugged my jacket close to me, but de Rio was stronger than she looked, and she eventually tore my jacket off.

            Everyone just stared at me.

            If I could, I would've stared at myself.

            I moved my hand over my shoulder again and felt the two ridged bumps that would one day grow into shoulder spikes. They were another Alien feature that had been surgically implanted in my DNA, and I had forgotten about them until now.

            "Now what the hell are _those_ things?" the injured soldier asked.

            Horrigan shrugged. "I don't know, Mitchell. Perigon? What are those things?"

            Perigon shrugged too. "Search me."

            "Wait! I remember somethin'… before the Alien burned me with his blood and guts… I got a pretty good look at it. It was one scary thing, man!" said Mitchell. "Er… I think it had four spikes, two each on its shoulders."

            Now _that_ was the end of my mission, then and there.

            Perigon raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible! Why would the Aliens kill off an entire colony, yet do medical experiments on a human girl? Judging by the length of the tail, she's had it for quite some time, five years at the least."

            "She's an Alien!" one of the soldiers yelled then. He pulled out a handgun and squeezed the trigger. But I saw the bullet before it even left the barrel. I dived onto the floor and rolled onto my side, hitting the floor just as the bullet shattered a piece of equipment.

            "Velasquez! Stop!" Horrigan roared, wrenching the soldier's gun away. "How do we really know she's an Alien and not one of their scientific experiements?"

            "It's… it's just a hunch."

            At that moment, I winced as my shoulder bumps rose a little, efficiently tearing holes in my shirt. "Ow…" I muttered.

            "It's growing rapidly," observed de Rio. "How long before the shoulder spikes are at full length, Perigon?"

            Perigon studied me carefully. "Judging by the sudden change… three hours?"

            _Oh, great,_ I thought. _Now I _really_ want to go home. How am I supposed to carry out my mission when I'm transforming right before they're eyes!?_

            "We have to kill her," said Velasquez, glaring at me. "She could kill us all in three hours or less!"

            _If only Kaylon could've heard that…_ I mused, smiling inwardly.

            "No! We can't," countered Horrigan. "We'll bring her to the _Narcissist_. We'll do _something_ about her condition."

            "Like what?"

            "I don't know… replace the DNA with regular human DNA, maybe!"

            Perigon interrupted. "That's not possible. She's transformed too much for us to save her."

            "So what do we do?" asked Mitchell. "Freeze her or something?"

            "…Maybe."

            I snapped my head up at that. No _way_ were they going to freeze me! I guess they noticed my sudden tenseness, my sudden refusal to be frozen, because Horrigan then said:

            "No. We're not going to freeze her."

            I stifled a sigh of relief. I wasn't out of the fire just yet.

            Five hours later, I rested on my back on the bed I was given and stared at the ceiling. It was such a boring color: white. And with my lamp on, it was orange. So boring.

            I ran a hand along one of my shoulder bumps again. They hadn't grown since they'd torn holes in my shirt, which was a good thing. Not only were my changes random, but they allowed me to get a feel for them before becoming bigger.

            I heard the footfalls of an approaching human even before he opened the door.

            "Hey."

            I turned my head slightly and saw Corporal Horrigan stand nearby, placing a tray of food on my table. "What is it?" I asked.

            "The food?" I nodded. "Soup. It should warm you up."

            "I'm already warm."

            "Don't you know it's the middle of winter on this planet?" A long pause. "How did you survive thirteen years alone?" More silence. "Well, if you don't want to tell me now, I'll tell you about myself, if you want."

            What was he after? "…Okay."

            "Well… I grew up on Earth. My brothers were already enlisted in the Marines by the time I started high school. By the time I was done high school, I knew I wanted to be in the Marines, just like my brothers and father. So I underwent training and emerged as 'the perfect soldier', as my comrades would joke. I didn't give a damn whether anyone lived or died. It was just… who I was. Well, anyway, the first time I saw the Aliens was on a mission with my former corporal, Dwaine Hicks. It wasn't much to see, really—just a shadow. No one else noticed it, so they all thought I was just seeing things back there." He suddenly smiled at me. "Turns out they were wrong. The same group of men—except Corporal Hicks, because _I_ was the corporal—went out on our first colony rescue mission. Everyone died." He paused. "Except me."

            "So you're a survivor, huh?" I said.

            "Yeah. Kinda like you."

            "You're nothing like me."

            He nodded, glancing at my tail (which was hanging off the edge of the bed). "Yeah, I know. But we're both human, right?"

            "…Don't remind me." I turned over on my side so my back faced him, then turned over again on my back. I had suddenly remembered that if I were to lie on my side, my shoulder bumps would make dents in the bed.

            Horrigan sighed. "Like I said before," he continued after a moment, "it must've been tough living here by yourself."

            "I'm not by myself."

            "I mean, living here as the only human."

            I was going to answer, _So?_ But instead, I just shrugged.

            "Well, anyway, we're leaving tomorrow. Let's hope none of those Aliens have sneaked aboard our craft."


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

            I sat in one of the ship's seats, close to the cockpit door. I was securely buckled, and with Perigon and Velasquez nearby, I didn't dare unbuckle myself.

            We flew for nearly six hours before we reached the closest settlement. It was really one of the huge military colonies that inhabited the minutely populated planet. Only a portion of Kirin was inhabited by humans, and that was where there was the most water.

            At least, that's what de Rio had told me.

            I scratched at my left shoulder, at the base of the spikes. They were perhaps two inches long already, and they itched a bit. My tail had itched the first few days I had it, but it eventually went away, so I knew the irritation in my shoulders would fade away.

            But the bigger annoyance was how to _hide_ them, and my tail.

            "So what should we do?" de Rio was asking Perigon. "How do we get her into base without anyone noticing her?"

            "Cargo, maybe?" Perigon suggested desperately, obviously not knowing what to do. She shrugged. "My orders were to bring back a life form—any life form—for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation here on Kirin. However, we have none except this girl. We could pretend she is my duty, and we'll get her to base, but we won't bring her to the medical units."

            "How do you we know you _will_ take her to the units?" Horrigan suddenly said, entering from the cockpit.

            "Corporal, you have my word."

            Horrigan stared at her for a moment, as if trying to see what she was _really_ up to. He then leaned toward Perigon, holding onto the ship's wall for balance. "Listen to me, Auton," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You will bring Gemini into base safely, and you will deliver her to Department EX-four. Do you understand? Not to the medical unit—to EX-four."

            Perigon nodded. "Yes, corporal."

            Horrigan leaned back and looked at me. "If the Auton goes against her word, just use that superhuman strength and head for EX-four, you hear?"

            I nodded. Of course, I had no clue where Department EX4 was. I just had to hope I'd find it, just in case.

            The ship touched down on a landing strip, and we filed out. Horrigan was at the head, and Perigon and I were behind him. Perigon had a good grip on my electro-chains. They were just for show, of course. If I had wanted to, I would've snapped them in half and freed myself.

            The guards at the entrance stopped Perigon before she could enter. One of them—the taller one—said, "What is this?"

            "This is my duty," said Perigon. "My orders were to bring a life form to the medical units. They did not specify what kind, just any life form. May I enter?"

            "We have to scan it first." He took out a metal detector and waved it in front of me while I had my hands up. I was good to go.

            Perigon led me inside, down dark halls with lights on the ceiling. I guess Perigon hoped I wouldn't notice that we had passed Department EX4, but she was wrong. I was wary, looking for anything that could tell me we were going in the right—or wrong—direction. We passed a sign that said: Departments EX0—EX10.

            So I stopped. "Perigon."

            "Yes?" she asked.

            "Where are we going?"

            "I just have to sign in, then we'll go to EX4."

            "But we passed the sign-in several minutes ago." I had noticed that, too.

            Perigon turned to look at me. She smiled almost demonically. "So?"

            "Corporal Horrigan said to bring me to Department EX4. We passed it."

            "Gemini," she said, "I am an Auton. I cannot disobey my programmer. I cannot override my programming, either. So you either come with me nice and easy… or I'll have to force you to follow."

            I planted my feet firmly on the floor. "I'm not following you."

            She shrugged. "So be it." She lifted her finger to press on a red button at her belt. It was the one that controlled the electric flow through the chain. But I was faster. Grabbing the chain in both hands, I yanked hard. The metal snapped. I whipped my tail forward, impaled Perigon's knee, and twisted so her leg was in an unusual position. Then I ran back towards the sign. I pushed on the door, and it opened with a slight whirring noise. And I kept on running. The signs flashed past my head until I saw the one that said: Department EX4. It was locked, and opening it required a password.

            _I don't have time for this!_ I said mentally. I ripped the keypad apart with my tail and tore the wires out. The lights blinked off and the door opened. I ran into the room and into a dark corner. Any normal human would've been panting hard, but I just took slow deep breaths, and in less than a minute, I had composed myself.

            After a moment I slowly stood. I was in a large cargo hold. I stepped into the middle of the room and looked around. There were crates stacked up on one side of the room and a row of lockers against the other. For a moment, I was utterly confused. Why did Horrigan ask Perigon to bring me to a cargo hold?

            But my mind was soon on other things as a heavy net came upon me. I screamed in surprise, then started to tear at the rope. But not even Alien strength could cut through a simple woven net. _How can I get out?_ I asked myself.

            Oh. Yeah.

            I poked my tail through a hole in the net and prepared to cut through the rope when something snagged my tail and pulled it back. I hissed and growled, struggling against the thing which bound my tail.

            "Easy there, girl, easy there," said a masculine voice. I looked up and saw a stern-faced uniformed man. With him was a man in a long white coat—a scientist or doctor. I tensed.

            "Well, Dr. Matthews? What is she?" said the uniformed man.

            "Either a hybrid or a medical experiment," said Dr. Matthews.

            "Can you run tests on her?"

            "Of course I can, general. Let me drug her so we can take her to the medical clinic."

            The general nodded curtly. "Very well, Dr. Matthews. Corporal Horrigan?"

            Horrigan suddenly appeared from behind them, not looking at me. "Here, sir."

            The general pulled from his pocket a small bag. "Here is your reward. Good job for getting her."

            My eyes flashed, and I was suddenly alive. I hissed and thrashed about wildly, pulling on whatever yanked at my tail, trying to rise despite the weights on the ends of the net.

            "My, my, what a feisty little thing," said Dr. Matthews. "I've never seen anything like it. Well, we better drug her." He pulled out a syringe and pumped it into my arm. My head started feeling light, and I didn't have the strength to even lift up my head. The doctor and his men hoisted me on a bed and rolled me out of the room. With my vision blurring, I glared as hard as I could at Horrigan. He looked sad, almost guilty. But that didn't stop me from growling with anger just as the world turned black.

~~

            Velasquez propped his feet up on the tabletop and leaned back in his chair. "Well, that was a good witch hunt," he said after taking a sip of whiskey.

            "She's very persistent," said Perigon. "She's very strong. The Aliens taught her well."

            "What bugged me, though, was how she always looked at me. She looked ready to kill me any moment."

            "Well," de Rio retorted, "you _did_ want to kill her."

            Velasquez sat up straight. "Hey, it's not my fault! Did you see what that Alien did to Mitchell? Burned his arm right then and there! Who knows if she has acid blood like those other bitches?"

            "The analysis will tell us soon enough." De Rio turned to look at the other Marines officer behind her. "Hey. What's eatin' ya, Corporal?"

            Horrigan just looked down at his mug of strange black liquid.

            "What, you're feeling _compassion_ for that little psycho?" Velasquez exclaimed incredulously. "You've got to be kidding! Her people tried to kill us!"

            "That's because," stated the officer in question, "we took her away from them."

            "Oh?" Velasquez abruptly stood up. "That's not a good enough excuse for me! It wasn't our fault we thought she was a survivor!"

            "Velasquez, please—"

            "So what if it is? Go ahead and blame me! Go ahead and blame _us_, your troops, for taking her!"

            "Velasquez—"

            "Oh, wait a moment—who fired the gun, huh? Who was the goddamned idiot who fired the gun that stunned her? You, ya son of a—"

            Horrigan stood up. "Velasquez! Why don't you just shut the hell up!? We made it outta there alive, and we've got the girl in the med-labs, so just shut the _freakin' hell up!!!_"

            "Why don't—"

            Perigon pulled the outraged soldier back with her robotic strength. "Listen to your corporal!"

            Silence then reigned. The two men glared at each other: one, seething with unbridled rage and looking ready to break the table in two; the other, cooling off just the tiniest bit.

            Velasquez pointed accusingly at his corporal. "Just stay off my case. I don't need the 'perfect soldier' getting all psycho on me cos of some goddamned girl." And without further adieu, he turned swiftly on his heel and left.

            A few more moments of silence reigned, but it was suddenly over when Dr. Matthew's voice came over on the intercom. "Corporal Horrigan? Perigon? I think you need to see this."

~~


	5. Chapter Five

_Author's Note_: Sorry for the long wait.

*          *          *

Chapter Five

            When I woke up, I was in a dark room. The first thing I noticed about it was the single light at the ceiling. The thought that came to my mind then was: _Am I home?_

            But the second thought came swifter, and I knew I wasn't.

            I sat up, winced at the ache in my back and in my arm, and staggered to my feet. I had a throbbing headache, and I was hungry. Of all things.

            "Well, it looks like our little patient is awake," a familiar voice said suddenly.

_            That voice… it's muffled, as if… as if it was behind something…_

            I looked up to see Dr. Matthews, Perigon, Corporal Horrigan, and the general what's-his-face stare at me from behind glass. The glass was built so it allowed two-way speech via a circular object.

            But the glass didn't bother me at all. The fact that I was contained and gawked at bothered me. So I did what I was taught to do. I leaped at the glass and snarled, then abruptly stopped. The sound that had come out of my throat was that akin to an Alien's…

            _Well, now Kaylon won't have to tease me about not sounding like the others…_

            But that meant I was really becoming an Alien. I just hoped I could still speak.

            "Well," continued the doctor to Horrigan and Perigon, "let me show you the data we got off her." He pointed to a nearby computer screen, and the others joined him. "See this? She…" And I could hear no longer.

            I crawled to a corner of my small, dark room and pulled my knees to my chin. I was still mostly human, thankfully, and could still sit in that position. But my tail—which had been a rough three feet or less before I was thrown in here—was now at least five feet long. And my shoulder spikes were now half-a-foot long each. Why was it happening now?

            After about five minutes of sitting, I got up and paced. The aches in my back were fading away, but my arm and my head still hurt. Her Majesty knew of a way to take the pain away, but these humans did not… I would have to remain like this until the aches went away by themselves.

            After a few more minutes of pacing, the doctor and his three companions turned to me. "I believe you are called Gemini?" he asked me.

            I stared at him from the gloom. "What if I am?"

            "You can't lie to us. Miss Perigon here told us."

            "Okay then. My name is Gemini. Is that a problem?"

            "No, not at all," said the general. "We just need to ask you a few questions. First of all—you are the last survivor, correct?"

            "Yeah."

            "Why didn't the Aliens kill you, like they did the others?"

            Silence reigned. I just squinted at the humans as if they were something I had never seen before. Something was nagging at the back of my mind…

            "Why didn't the Aliens kill you?" the general repeated.

            "It's obvious, General," said Dr. Matthews, "that they wished to create one of their own—but from the original body of a human. It seems to have taken longer than they expected, however."

            _You're wrong_ was the first thought that came to me.

            Dr. Matthews turned to the general. "Sir, I wish to examine this creature more closely. Perhaps we will see something… _exceptional_ about her."

            The general nodded. "Go ahead, doctor. Do as you please. Science is not my field of expertise."

            "Thank you, General O'Connor."

            O'Connor? What a pathetic name.

~~

            It was nighttime at the Hive. Most of the Aliens were asleep, including the Queen. Only those on night patrol were up and about. Of course, it only took one gesture from the Queen to awaken the entire colony.

            However, one Alien was unaccounted for. Young Timothy (though no one would call him little) sat outside the Hive, atop the roof of the abandoned power plant where the nursery was located. He looked out at the sky, suddenly wondering why he could see the moons of Kirin. It was unusual for the clouds to part.

            Timothy had been sitting there for at least three hours when something caught his attention. He looked behind him to see Zendrek near the rooftop vent. _Timmy? What are you doing here?_

            Timmy looked back out at the horizon. _I miss Gemini. I wonder what she's doing right now. Usually, she'd be talking to me quietly, like Mother sometimes does to the Chestbursters when they first hatch. Gemini would be talking… and then I'd fall asleep. I miss her voice. I can't sleep._

            Zendrek stood beside the younger, shorter Alien. _Yeah. I miss her too. But remember—our duty is to protect the Hive, to protect Mother. Our thoughts mustn't dwell on things beyond our reach. And Gemini is most likely a few thousand miles away, in the nearest human settlement._

            _I miss her, Zendrek…_ said Timothy quietly, lowering his head. _Will we see her again? We will, right? Because she's… well… she looks human, and humans won't hurt their kind. Right?_

            Smiling inwardly, Zendrek couldn't help but marvel at the wisdom of youth. Timmy was only five years old. It amazed him to see such a young Alien grasp the concept that Gemini was one of the humans too, not just one of the Aliens.

            _Right, Zendrek? She'll be all right, won't she? And we'll see her again, right?_

            _…Yeah. We'll see her again._

_            …She won't die?_

            Now, that thought had never struck Zendrek before. It was only at that moment that he realized exactly _where_ she was—a military base. And her tail was very visible. Sooner or later, her spikes would burst from her shoulders, and her pitiful human growls would become fiercer, like an Alien's. Then all those soldiers would know… and she'd be dead.

            _Zendrek?_

            Zendrek merely shook his head. _I… I don't know…_

            _But you said we'd see her again!_

            _But now I'm not so sure…_ He shook his head again. _Listen, I've gotta get back to patrol duty. You better head inside. It's late, and Mother wants us up early tomorrow._

            Timothy yawned and headed back to the rooftop vent. _Okay. See ya, Zendrek…_ And he disappeared into the Hive.

            Zendrek looked out at the horizon, just as Timothy had done. He sighed. _What a nightmare._

            It was early morning, and the Aliens were just waking up. It was like a short hibernation—they would shut off everything except their heartbeat and their link to the Queen. Unless motivated, the Aliens woke up rather… slowly.

            Fayka yawned and turned on her side, suddenly screeching as she rolled off a ledge. The Aliens around her started at her scream, only to find her on her back on the floor. They grumbled about noisy trouble-makers and slowly urged themselves to move.

            Fayka, meanwhile, was fully-awake due to the sudden yet non-fatal fall off the ledge. She got up, hissing at the ache in her back, then looked around. Something was wrong… Fayka sniffed the air, then immediately knew what was troubling her. She turned swiftly and ran through the crowd of Aliens, eventually giving up running and deciding to crawl along the ceiling as fast as she could. She reached her destination in less than three minutes—the nursery.

            _Mother! Mother!_ Fayka screamed. _Poorah's missing!_

            The Queen looked up at her daughter. _What?_

            _Poorah's missing!_ Fayka repeated, still hanging upside-down from the ceiling. _I don't smell her here._

            There was a long silence in the room. Then the Queen said: _You're correct. I do not smell her._ She looked over at the crowd of Aliens that were there. _Who saw young Poorah last?_

            Timothy slowly stepped up to his mother. _I did, Mom. We were heading here when you told us the humans were coming. We ran. I was ahead of Poorah… and I guess she took the wrong junction due to sheer panic. I remember when that happened to me once._

            Fayka shook her head. _No… Poorah…_

            Kaylon sidled beside her. _We know how much Poorah means to you, sis. Don't worry. I'll find her._

            _You will?_ Fayka was almost begging. _Please! Find her! She might be seriously hurt… or something!_

            Kaylon nodded. _Leave it to me._ He turned and scurried off, not waiting for Her Majesty to say anything.

            Keebler joined Kaylon as he hurried down the hallways. _Geez, what's up with you? That's being reckless you know? At least one other Alien should join you._

            _Shut up, Keebler._

            _Why? I mean, we all need to work together. That's what Mother says. And you've got to have someone around to make sure you don't start thinking with your hormones and stop thinking with your brain._

            _Are you trying to tell me something?_

            _Yeah! That you're exactly like Zendrek—you'll do anything for the damsel in distress._ Keebler laughed. _Wait, you're worse than Zendrek, cos his damsel's in distress and he ain't doin' anything!_

            Kaylon stopped and grabbed Keebler's shoulder. _If you're going to join me, you better learn to shut your mouths, because I'm not against killing another Alien._

            Keebler nodded, and he let go. Kaylon continued running down the hallway, leaving the other Alien to tilt his head in confusion. _Geez… was it something I said?_

~~

            I woke up from a short nap to the sound of footsteps and a familiar screech. I got up and peered through the glass. Several soldiers were dragging a heavy canvas… _something_.

            "What the hell is that thing?" Perigon demanded, trying to peer over a soldier's shoulder.

            "Why, it's another specimen!" exclaimed Dr. Matthews. "It's… an Alien!"

            My jaw dropped as the canvas flap was pulled back to reveal Poorah, my poor baby sister, bound and gagged by energy ropes.

            "Where should we put her, Doctor?" asked a soldier.

            "In the room where our other specimen is. I want to see them interact with one another."

            They opened a side door to my room and unceremoniously shoved Poorah onto the floor. They hurriedly undid the energy ropes and shut the door, locking it. Poorah was trembling with fear. I slowly crawled to her and pulled on the canvas. She screeched.

            "Poorah! It's okay, it's okay!" I yelled, forgetting about the two-way communicator attached to the glass. "It's me, Gemini!"

            Poorah stopped struggling and looked at me. _…Gemini? Is that really you?_ She smiled. _Momma was right! You'd soon be like us! I'm glad I snuck aboard that ship thingie._

            I smiled and whispered, "This isn't exactly the greatest place to be. And I have to pretend I can't understand you, okay? It's for our safety."

            Poorah nodded. I sat back against the wall, and she—being the infant that she was—curled up beside me and put her head on my lap. I smiled. It was a little comforting to know I had someone I could relate to while we both still lived.

*          *          *

_Author's Note_: About the O'Connor thing… it's not meant to offend anyone by the last name of O'Connor! I just couldn't think up of a decent last name, so I put the first one that came to my mind. Please no head-bashing… Oh, and with the Fayka/Poorah thing… Poorah is practically the youngest Alien so far (yes, younger than Timmy), and Fayka treats Poorah like a really special little sister. And you might've noticed by now that Kaylon likes Fayka, and that Keebler just doesn't know when to quit.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

~~

Three days later… 

            Perigon poured Dr. Matthews a cup of coffee. The doctor took it gratefully and sat at his computer, sipping the black liquid while he read over both of his subject's stats.

            "What is it, Dr. Matthews?" asked the Auton.

            "This is amazing. I can't believe this could be done to a girl and be successful."

            "Did the Aliens do it, Doctor?"

            "I believe so. Otherwise…"

            "Otherwise what?"

            Dr. Matthews shrugged. "Otherwise, I'm stumped. There's no way anyone of our field of knowledge could've done this."

            Perigon frowned. "But I thought Aliens weren't as sentient—or as knowledgeable—as we are."

            There was a moment's pause. "I have decided on one thing."

            "Which would be…?"

            "We're going to dissect Gemini. We've gotten enough information from her already to biologically enhance the rest of the human race—without giving them tails and shoulder spikes."

            Perigon blinked. "Are you serious, Dr. Matthews? You want to dissect her? But—"

            "No 'but's', Perigon. I'm going to do it next week. It'll give me time to prepare. And don't you try to stop me."

            Nodding slowly, Perigon said, "I cannot override my programming."

            "Good. You may leave now. I have much data to analyze."

            Again nodding, the Auton turned and left.

            There was a knock at the door. Mitchell opened it, blinking drowsily. "Huh? Oh, hi, Perigon. What's up?"

            "I need to speak with Horrigan."

            "Okay. Hold on." He shuffled into the bedrooms and yelled from the doorway. "Hey! Jack! Perigon's here to see you!"

            Horrigan exited the room, the very opposite of his fatigued comrade, and exited the quarters. "What is it, Perigon?"

            "I don't know why I'm doing this, but I must tell you something," she said hurriedly.

            Horrigan raised his eyebrow. Something wasn't right. "What is it?"

            "It's the girl, Gemini. She's… Dr. Matthews is going to dissect her in a week."

            "A week?" The colonel was suddenly alert. "When?"

            "Dr. Matthews is very precise. When he says a week, he means next Friday."

            The colonel sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Well, whaddya want me to do?"

            Perigon said slowly, "Well…I mean…since you seem the closest to her since we found her…you might be motivated enough to free her."

            "Dammit, Perigon. I'd love to, but she hates me now. Can't you see it? And besides, it would be me and who against the entire Marines base?"

            "I'll go with you."

            "You cannot override your programming."

            "I can't stop Dr. Matthews, but I can help you stop him."

            A new voice: "I'll go, too!" Mitchell, suddenly alive and awake, stood at the doorway. "Hey, that girl was pretty damn cute, and she seemed troubled. That's why I'm going."

            "Going? Where?" asked Velasquez as he appeared from behind the bedroom door. When no one answered, he said, "Fine. I heard. Anyway, I don't think you should do this sorta bull shit, guys. I mean—we're mere soldiers. If Dr. Matthews wants to do it, he'll do it. The general's not stopping him."

            "Who said we were the general?" Horrigan asked the younger man.

            "Jack, you're going to be demoted for _sure_ if you do this. Besides—you, Perigon, and Mitchell against how many Marines? You've gone crazy, Jack. Hell, you've _all _gone crazy."

            Mitchell turned on Velasquez. "Listen, buddy, dissection is inhuman. Sure, we do it to dogs and cats and pigs and dead people, but this is a living human being. Sure, she doesn't _look_ it, but she was born a human and she's still got some human left in her."

            "They'll most likely kill her before dissection."

            "That's even more inhuman. She'll be dead in a goddamned week if we don't do something."

            Velasquez shrugged. "Fine. You go and throw yourselves in some shit. I'm staying here where there's at least _some_ peace and quiet."

            "Suit yourself," said Horrigan. "We're going."

            "But we need men," Perigon said suddenly.

            "And a strategy," added Mitchell.

            Horrigan nodded. "I know. I've got an idea, but it's pretty farfetched. But it's still an idea."

            Horrigan sat in one of the transport ships that he, Perigon, Mitchell, and de Rio had 'borrowed'. They were speeding towards the closest—and only known—Hive on Kirin. The colonel briefly remembered the moment he spilled out the plan to his comrades.

_            "Jesus! That's more farfetched than it should be!" de Rio exclaimed._

_            "I know. That's why we're doing it," said Mitchell. "It's just another trip to hell, Mary."_

_            "Don't call me Mary."_

_            Perigon opened the door to the hangar. "Here we are. Do we have what we need?"_

_            "All we need is something to prove that we're truthful," said Horrigan._

_            "Which would be…?" asked de Rio._

_            He held up a small rectangular device. "This, my friends, is a holo-image transmitter. Perigon wired it up to a micro-cam inside the medical unit they're holding Gemini. If we can reach the Queen Alien in time, we can show her that Dr. Matthews is planning to dissect Gemini—and her little friend—by next week."_

_            De Rio blew the air out of her cheeks. "That's all we've put our lives on. A holo-transmitter."_

_            Mitchell patted the large box he was carrying. "Of course, we've got this in case it all backfires on us."_

_            "Let me guess—flamethrowers?"_

_            "Yep."_

            Horrigan shook his head. _We won't need flamethrowers._ But he had agreed to bring them anyway.

            "We're almost there!" Perigon called from the cockpit. "Just a few more minutes."

            "Right." Mitchell sat next to Horrigan. "So, Jack, this is it. It's either this, or we're dead. I can't believe I'm in this sorta shit with you."

            Horrigan looked at him. "Believe it."

            Kaylon stopped walking and sniffed the air.

            _What is it?_ asked Keebler. _Is it Poorah?_

            _No. They're humans. These are the same humans who came and took Gemini._

            _Oh. …Shouldn't we tell Mother? Or Zendrek?_

            Kaylon turned to his brother. _Mother knows. Remember? She knows everything. And there's no reason to tell Zendrek now. He's too busy with his duties to worry too much about Gemini. It'll be good for him._

            Keebler blinked. _Right…so what are we going to do?_

            The bigger Alien started to walk off, towards the humans. _We'll kill them, you idiot._

            _But…we don't even know why they're here! So why should we kill them? Maybe they're here to bring Gemini back._

            _I don't think she's with them this time._ And he disappeared into the darkness of the Hive. Keebler followed.

            A moment later…

            _There they are,_ said Kaylon, who was perched on the ceiling above the humans.

            _Only one weapon. What're they here for, a peace agreement?_ Keebler joked.

            "Wait!" said a human female. "I'm picking up something on the motion tracker. Actually, two things. They're…right on top of us."

            The lead human slowly looked to the ceiling. The other followed, and soon, the Kaylon and Keebler were staring back at the four humans below them.

            "Well," said the human with the weapon, "I guess we've found them."

            "We need to find the _Queen_," the lead human corrected his comrade, "not just any ordinary Alien."

            "Maybe we can ask these guys. They seem to understand human speech pretty well," said another human. She turned back to the two Aliens. "We need to find your Queen."

            Forgetting the human couldn't understand him, Kaylon growled, _Why_?

            Keebler turned to his brother. _Dumbass! They can't understand you._

            _Right…sorry, forgot._

            "We won't hurt the Queen," the human continued, and the one with the weapon did something to it, and the little flame at its end went out. "We're here to give her a message. Could you take us to her?"

            _Well?_ asked Keebler. _Should we?_

            _What's the message, though?_ Kaylon wondered.

            _We probably won't know until we bring them to Mother. Besides, several hundred of us against four of them? We can beat 'em._

            Kaylon grinned. _You're right, bro. Come on._ He dropped from the ceiling and tilted his head at the lead human—feigning curiosity (because we wasn't the least bit curious)—then turned and headed down the hallway. Keebler followed from the ceiling, and the sudden sound of footsteps against metal told them the humans were following.

            It was a long journey to the nursery, but since Keebler and Kaylon knew all the shortcuts, they got there in just six hours. Kaylon disappeared into the darkness of the nursery while Keebler stood by the humans as they walked into the vast chamber.

            Then time stood still.

            "Here we are," Horrigan whispered. "The Queen's chamber."

            Mitchell shook his head. "Goddammit, she's huge."

            The Queen reared up to her full height and screeched.

~~


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

~~

            "So…what should we do now?" de Rio asked quietly.

            "We…can talk," Horrigan suggested. He took a step forward. "Hello, Your Majesty. Now, we're not here to hurt you or take anyone else from your Hive."

            The Queen tilted her head in a gesture that said, _How can I trust you?_

            "Gemini is quickly becoming one of you." Several Aliens shifted at that statement. "And, because she is now half-and-half, our head scientist is going to do something I would hate to be done on any sentient creature—dissection. They're probably going to kill her first, though."

            Zendrek's head jerked up. _WHAT!!!?_

            The Queen gave him a stern look. _Stand down, Zendrek._

            _Yes, Mother._

            "Basically," Horrigan continued, "we're going to set her free. The dissection will be in less than a week. But there's only four of us. …We need your help, since Gemini means a lot to you."

            The Queen once again asked, _How can I trust you?_

            "Perigon? The holo-image transmitter?"

            Perigon stepped in front of the Queen and pressed a few buttons on the small device. A holographic image popped up of the inside of the med-labs. All the Aliens screeched in unison. There, displayed by the transmitter, was Gemini and Poorah, both asleep. Gemini stirred as a human came into view.

            "Hello there, Gemini," the human said cheerfully. "How is your little friend?"

            Gemini growled in reply.

            "Well, it won't matter. I thought you'd like to know that in a week, you and your little friend will be dead." Gemini's eyes widened. "And then we'll perform a dissection on both of you."

            "Why are you telling me this?" the girl asked.

            "Because there's no point in keeping it secret from you. Besides—you can't do anything about it." The human smiled, then abruptly turned and walked off.

            Perigon turned the device off and stepped back with the other humans. There was a sudden clamor as the Aliens screamed at each other. The humans simply stood and waited. Then the Queen ordered for silence, and she nodded—effectively surprising the soldiers by using such a human gesture.

            "So you'll help us?" asked Mitchell.

            The Queen again nodded, then screeched, and hundreds upon hundreds of Aliens seemingly materialized from the shadows.

            "Well, here's our army," de Rio observed, looking around.

            "I have a question, though," said Mitchell. "How do we communicate with them? They can understand us, but we can't understand them."

            Perigon held up another device. "That's where this comes in. It's not on, so we couldn't understand the Queen, but once I get it functioning, we can translate their screams into human words. We've done it with Earth animals, so I'm sure it'll work."

            "Good." Horrigan patted Perigon on the shoulder. "Now, let's get the hell outta here. This place gives me the creeps."

            Later that day…

            Zendrek sat atop a rock just outside the humans' ship. He'd been sitting there for two hours already, waiting for the one called Horrigan to come out. And it was at the exact moment that Zendrek decided he was wasting his time when someone _did_ come out—Mitchell.

            "Ahhh!" the soldier exclaimed, startled. "Oh…it's one of you guys. Um…" He turned on the speech device he was given. "So…what are you doing here?"

            _I've come to speak with your leader,_ Zendrek replied, and the device translated his message to English.

            "Pretty cliché…but that's all right. Hold on; I'll get Jack." He went inside, and moments later, he reappeared with Horrigan at his side. "Well, you two have a nice chat. I'm going to take a leak." And he left, disappearing behind some rocks.

            Horrigan turned on his own speech device. "Who are you?"

            _My name is Zendrek._

            "Never knew you Aliens had names."

            _We do, and there's no trouble in memorizing them all. But I did not come to speak to you about the various names of my people. You'll only know some, one of which is mine._

            "Okay. Well, my name is Jack Horrigan, just in case you were wondering."

            _I appreciate your courtesy. But down to business: you want us to get inside that base and wreck havoc, right?_ Horrigan nodded. _If we are to wreck havoc, then you must provide us with a distraction. I know we have snuck into places before with ease, but we do not want any failures. This is a one-in-a-million chance to save Gemini._

            "I know. That's why I'm doing this. We cause the distraction, you get in and cause _our_ distraction, and we'll get her outta there."

            _That is the second reason I came here._

            "Oh? Is something wrong with my plan?"

            _No. But I have one favor to ask of you._

            "Which is…?"

            _I wish to be the one to free Gemini._

            Horrigan raised his eyebrow at the Alien. "You do? Just curious, but why?"

            If Zendrek had eyes, he would've narrowed them. _My business is my own. Besides, she knows me. I used to…_ He stopped himself. _Never mind. The point is, I want to be the one to free her._

            Horrigan nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll honor that request. But make sure you don't get yourself killed."

            _If one Alien goes down, three take his place._

            "Yeah, I noticed… Well, if that's all, I need to get some sleep. It's pretty late. We leave in the morning."

            _Good. There's a tunnel that connects this abandoned colony with your military base. We'll travel that way._

            "…How many of you are coming?"

            _Two hundred._

            "How many are staying?"

            _Three hundred._

            "Wow…well, thanks for the information…Zendrek, right?" The Alien nodded. "I'm going now. You better head back and ready your army." And he disappeared into the ship.

            Zendrek looked out at the horizon. _We're finally coming to get you, Gemini. Hold on…_

            "We'll just quietly land this ship, walk in all casual-like, and go back to our business," said Perigon as they neared the military base.

            "That won't be as easy as it sounds," Mitchell muttered.

            But they did land the ship quietly and walk in unnoticed. But as they turned the corner of one particularly long hallway, they came face-to-face with—

            "Velasquez!" exclaimed de Rio.

            The man held three semi-automatics and one flamethrower. "Where've you been?"

            The four soldiers shared a look. "…Somewhere," Horrigan finally said.

            Velasquez then shoved a semi-automatic into his corporal's hands. "Take this. You'll need it." He gave a weapon each to de Rio and Perigon (Mitchell already had his flamethrower). "If you're going bust that girl free from the med-labs, you better do it tonight. They're performing the dissection tomorrow."

            Perigon's eyes widened. "Dr. Matthews said in a week—this Friday!"

            "Yeah, but when the general heard, he wanted him to do it as soon as possible. A week was too late for the doctor."

            Horrigan knelt down and tapped the metal floor. "We're doing it now," he said quietly.

            _I know,_ was the reply from the speech translator.

            Horrigan stood up. "Where is the doctor?" he asked Velasquez.

            "In the med-labs. He's doing his usual visit to the girl and her pet. The general won't be visiting today—he's busy with some guests. Come on. We don't have much time." He started walking off, and the other four followed.

            "Guests?" Mitchell wondered. "What kind?"

            "Pirates, I think. They brought in 'food' for the Alien."

            "Right," said Horrigan. He loaded his semi-automatic and secured the cartridge. "Lock and load, because we're going in _now_."

~~

            I glared at the doctor. He was 'organizing' his dissecting tools for probably the third time that day. It was just to show me that I was powerless to stop him.

            _I might be powerless,_ I thought, _but others hold more power than you would ever hope to have._

            For three hours, I had felt something nagging in the back of my mind. And it was just then that I realized what it was. The sound of the Hive came racing back to me. They were coming. They were coming to get me.

            I smiled to myself and curled up in my corner. _If you get out of this alive, Dr. Matthews, I'll see to it that Zendrek tears you to pieces._ I felt my old strength return. _And then…you'll die._


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

~~

      Dr. Matthews nearly dropped the scalpel when Horrigan, de Rio, Mitchell, Perigon, and Velasquez burst through the door. Corporal Horrigan leveled his semi-automatic at the doctor. "Drop the tool," he ordered.

      The doctor looked startled. "Why, Corporal Horrigan…what's the meaning of this intrusion?"

      "You're going to dissect her. You're going to kill her."

      "And when she deserves to live, too," Mitchell added.

      Dr. Matthews put the scalpel on the table and stood up. "I'm not sure if you understand this, but General O'Connor specifically said I should do it."

      Mitchell set off a stream of fire that startled the doctor. "Not without a fight, you're not. That girl is special, and she does not deserve to be treated like data."

      "But she _is_ data. If you were scientists—"

      De Rio interrupted. "But we're not. We're soldiers. Now, bust the girl outta there. And her friend, too."

      "I'm afraid he can't." Everyone turned their heads to see General O'Connor and a dozen Marines soldiers enter the room. The general smiled with mock lament and continued, "I just can't stand it when soldiers mutiny against me. It's such a waste of men. And women, if I might add. So either you back down nicely and you'll simply get demoted…or you'll die."

      There was then a voice that seemed to echo within the room. _I am sorry, General O'Connor, but I am afraid you are mistaken._ Everyone turned their heads again, but this time towards a new person—Gemini. She was standing in her glass cell with Poorah at her side. The teenage girl had a fiery light within her dark eyes—a light few had ever seen. She continued, _Because these brave humans aren't on today's menu. No, general—it's YOU who will die. You and everyone else in this parasite-infested base._

      There was then a sudden noise that grew louder and louder. The walls of the dark room suddenly became alive as Aliens appeared into view from their hiding places

      One particular Alien fell from the ceiling and landed heavily on the center table.

      Kaylon.

      _Listen up, assholes!_ he roared, his thought-voice somehow magnified without the speech translator's help. _We're gonna knock you dead!_ And he leaped, screaming, at a soldier. The soldier swung his gun to aim at Kaylon, but after one deadly, accurate swipe from the Alien's tail, the soldier no longer had a gun. Or an arm. Or a head.

      And then all hell broke loose.

      Semi-automatic blazing like fire, Horrigan backed up against Gemini's cell. "Can you smash through this glass?" he yelled at her over the noise.

      "Maybe," she yelled back. She whipped her tail forward, but the glass was stronger than it looked. "No, never mind."

      "Dammit."

      Zendrek suddenly appeared inside the glass cell via a hole in the ceiling. _I got her_, he said to Horrigan, and the corporal nodded back before joining the melee. Zendrek turned to the other two. _Poorah, head into the shaft. Gemini, get on my back._

      The two obliged, and the three of them scrambled through the ventilation shaft. The Aliens' natural sense of direction got them into the main hallway, which was deserted.

      "I have a funny feeling about this…" Gemini said quietly.

      There was a sudden rumbling, and the entire base seemed to shake and tremble as a sentry tank larger than it should be rolled towards them from one end of the hallway. Another blocked the only path out.

      Zendrek growled in frustration. _We're in deep shit now._ He crouched and let Gemini off his back. _Run_, he told her. _Run as fast as you can. Leave this place. Take Poorah with you._

      "What about you?" she asked.

      _I will stay and cover your backs._

      "You'll die!"

      _If it means your freedom—and your safety—then I'm willing to do it._ He turned to look at her. _And it's not because you're the Chosen._

      Poorah stood firmly next to her older brother. _I'm staying too. We'll attack the big machines while Gemini runs to safety._

      Gemini shook her had vigorously. "Poorah…Zendrek… I can't just leave you here!"

      _You have to go,_ the male Alien said firmly. Gemini didn't move. _NOW!_

      Gemini almost jumped at the commanding tone of voice, and she then ducked and ran past the sentry tanks. She stopped and turned back around as the tanks prepared to fire their fully charged cannons.

      _ZENDREK! POORAH! GET DOWN!!!_ a thought-voice hollered. The two Aliens instinctively lowered their upper bodies at the command (because you always bow in humiliation at the Queen when she does that) and ended up being pushed to the floor, just as the tanks fired. There was an Alien scream, and Poorah and Zendrek stared in shock as Kaylon landed heavily between them, his acid blood oozing from the two small yet deadly holes in his back and chest. Gemini simply screamed.

      _KAYLON!!!_ Zendrek roared furiously. _You bastard…KAYLON!!!_

      Poorah, however, was trembling with silent fear at the sight of her brother, who had risked his life to save them.

      Kaylon slowly lifted his head. _What're you lying there for? Get Gemini…outta here…_ His strength gave way, and he was dead before his head hit the floor.

      Trembling with fury, Zendrek just lay on the floor for a moment before he remembered his duty. He pushed Poorah to her feet. _Come on! Get up!_

      The younger Alien, though still thoroughly shaken, scrambled to her feet and dashed past the tanks with her brother just as they fired again. Zendrek grabbed Gemini as they ran past her.

      _Poorah! Into the vents!_

      The smaller Alien took a sharp left turn and wriggled into the ground-level vents, and Zendrek followed. They made their way deeper and deeper into the shafts, all the while going outwards and downwards towards the main tunnel outside the base.

      They ran for fifteen minutes straight before Zendrek told Poorah to head up. The trio burst from the ground onto Kirin's rocky terrain, safe. But they could still see the military base from where they were.

      All three were silent, feeling as if their hearts were being torn apart as a great sadness swept over them from the base. Dozens upon dozens of Aliens were dying, and many more were already dead.

      It was a full hour before the survivors came out. Of the two hundred Aliens that had entered, only a meager one hundred two survived. And of the five humans who had opposed General O'Connor and the rest of the military, only Corporal Horrigan, Velasquez, and a severely battered Perigon survived. All the Aliens gathered at the rocky outcrop first, sitting silently and nursing their wounds. Horrigan and Perigon came last, supporting Velasquez between them. He had a broken leg, and his arms were blackened by fire.

      Horrigan and Perigon put Velasquez on the ground to rest. While the Auton tried to mend his broken leg, the corporal went to look for Gemini. He found her sitting atop a somewhat flat rock with Zendrek curled next to her, his head on her lap. Horrigan was about to leave when Gemini said, "You have something to say, Corporal Horrigan?"

      "Well, yes, but if you have something more important—"

      "I'd like to hear it now."

      There was a pause. "General O'Connor made it out alive."

      _We know that already_, said Zendrek. _We've been watching him for five minutes. He's hiding behind that rock near the base._

      "He's most likely waiting for nightfall to get at us. I'm sure some of his men made it out alive," said Gemini.

      "Well, we're waiting for nightfall too," said Horrigan. "He may be my superior officer, but he agreed to your dissection. So, he's going to die tonight. And we'll avenge all those Aliens that died while we're at it."

      Gemini turned her head to look at him. "Thank you, Horrigan."

      He suddenly smiled. "Call me Jack."

      Smiling as well, Gemini nodded her head. "Okay…Jack."

      Jack Horrigan patted her shoulder, then walked off to check on Velasquez. Meanwhile, Zendrek turned his head slightly to look up at Gemini. _He's not so bad. For a human._

      Gemini nodded. "Yeah. He's not so bad."

~~

      It was later that night. Velasquez and Perigon were asleep. Jack was watching for any signs of General O'Connor or any of his men. Fifty of the one hundred and two Aliens that had survived were on the lookout as well. Zendrek and I were sitting in a small clearing in the center of the rock outcrop.

      "I miss Kaylon," I said quietly.

      _I miss him too,_ replied Zendrek. _But he died valiantly. He died for Poorah and me._

      "Now I feel awful about being so angry at him all the time."

      _We all do._ Zendrek rested his head against mine. _We all do._

      I felt tears in my eyes. "Maybe he was right. Maybe I'm not supposed to be the Chosen."

      _What are you talking about?_

      "I'm human! I was born a human, and I'm still mostly human. An Alien doesn't cry when one of their kind falls."

      Zendrek looked at me. _We mourn._

      "But you don't cry! You…don't…cry…"

      Jack suddenly ran up to us. "He's coming. It's only him. He's moving like he's stalking prey or something—probably hoping we won't see or hear him."

      _Right. I'm going in._ Zendrek nudged me. _I'll be back, don't worry._ And he disappeared into the darkness.

      It was Jack's turn to sit next to me, and he probably noticed a tear in my eye. "What's wrong?"

      "They died…for me…" I whispered, hugging my knees to my chin. "And Kaylon…"

      "Who's Kaylon?"

      "Kaylon…he was a trouble-maker…always teasing me…and he died! For _me_!" I took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears that had never fallen before. "I don't…I don't understand myself anymore. I've grown up…and I've never cried…never felt sadness…I've never painted with my fingers, or squeezed oranges for juice, or drew on paper. I've read it all…but I've never done it. And now that I'm crying, for the first time in my life…"

      Jack was silent for a moment before asking me, "What are you?"

      I stared at him. I hadn't expected that question. "Huh?"

      "What are you?" he repeated.

      "I…I'm a human that's turning into an Alien."

      "No. _What are you?_ As in, what are you to the Aliens?"

      I hesitated, but something inside me knew I could trust him. "…I'm their Chosen." And then I told him everything I was told to keep a secret: from how I got here to why I was transforming to why I had a deep bond with the Aliens, especially Zendrek and Timothy. When I was finished, I watched Jack's expression for any signs of shock, disgust, or anything similar to those.

      There was none.

      Instead, he smiled. "So that's why."

      "Yeah. You're not…freaked out?"

      "Nah. After everything we've been through on this planet, nothing surprises me anymore."

      A new voice, from behind: "Not even this?"

      I froze in horror as a gun's muzzle rested on Jack's head. I followed the gun with my eyes, up a sleeved arm, to the face of the general. He was very calm and casual about putting a gun to his corporal's head.

      "You put me through a lot, Corporal Horrigan. And I will now kill you and take your little friend with me in space, and we will bomb this planet and get rid of this species." The general smiled wickedly. "And then we will perform the dissection on Earth."

      _I don't think so._

      There was a sound like that of bones cracking and breaking, and the general dropped his gun. I could tell he could not feel the pain just yet—the surprise was too great. The general reached to the back of his head, and his face turned white. Then General O'Connor screamed as Zendrek's bone-crushing primary jaws closed upon his head to hold the human steady. His tail whipped forward and skewered the general's midsection, effectively killing him.

      "Well," said Jack, "that was easy."


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

            We buried the general's body under a pile of rocks and made our way back to the Hive. My brothers and sisters there greeted me ecstatically, and I was practically buried underneath their weight. I was ushered to the nursery, along with Jack and Perigon, and the Queen thanked them for helping to rescue me. The Queen even said she would oversee Velasquez's recovery in our own labs. She then told me that I did well, though I had become fond of the humans' company.

            A week passed. Velasquez was completely healed, and all three of our guests had learned a little more about Aliens than they had expected to. They were going to go home.

            Perigon and Velasquez were throwing their stuff (or what was left of it) in their only ship, which had been taken from the military base. Timothy, Poorah, Zendrek, and I were watching. I had become much more like an Alien in my behavior, and I was even sitting like them. My tail and shoulder spikes had finished growing, and the spikes on my back were just beginning to pop out. I could use my telepathy with ease, and my eyesight was blurring (though the sonar was kicking in, so I could still see clearly).

            "Are we ready to go?" asked Velasquez from inside the ship.

            "Yeah," Perigon replied. "We've got everything."

            Jack ran out from the ship. "Wait. There's still something I have to do." He then ran over to us. "Well. This is it."

            _We'll see you again, right?_ asked Poorah.

            "Hopefully. I don't know yet."

            _Okay then! That's all I gotta say._

            Timothy butted in. _I gotta say something! …Thanks, Jack, for saving my sisters._

            Jack smiled at Timmy and patted his head, despite how awkward it looked. "No problem." He pulled something from his jacket pocket—a ball. "Here you go. It's a farewell present from me. You and Poorah and all the other youngsters can play with it."

            Timmy took the gift in his primary jaws and nodded. _Thanks a bunch! Come on, Poorah!_

            The two scrambled off, laughing and throwing the ball around.

            It was Zendrek's turn. He and Jack stared at each other for a long moment before the Alien nodded. _I too Will thank you for all you've done. I guess there are some humans we can trust._

            Jack smiled at him. "And I guess Aliens aren't as bad as they seem."

            _You will return, right? The young ones are very fond of you and your friends._

            "Yeah, we'll come back. Some day." He turned to me. "I guess this is goodbye, Gemini."

            I nodded slowly. "Yeah… Are you sure you can't stay just one more day?"

            He shook his head. "Nope. I gotta get home. My sister is begging for me to come home before my nephew's birthday, which is in two weeks. And she says that I better be home for my twenty-fifth birthday or else she'll force me to stay on Earth."

            "Why?"

            "I don't know. …Because she's weird and overly assertive?"

            I laughed. "Then you better go. You don't want to keep your sister waiting."

            "Yeah." He hesitated a bit, then did something I would've never expected—he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I blushed, and he did too…a little. "Er…well, I better go now."

            I nodded furiously. "Yeah. I think so."

            He then composed himself, saluted, and walked off to his ship. The hatch closed, and the ship took off and flew into the clouds.

            I looked over at Zendrek, and he was fuming. "What?"

            _He kissed you!_

            "So?"

            Zendrek glared at me. _Gee, thanks a lot. I feel so loved now_, he muttered sarcastically.

            Laughing, I rubbed my head against his. "Just kidding."

            There was a sudden laugh, and we whirled around to see Keebler perched on the wall. He looked ready to fall off with amusement.

            "WHAT'S SO FUNNY!!!?" I hollered.

            _It's just…Kaylon was right!_ He stopped laughing and just grinned like a maniac. _You two really are cute couple!_

            Now I was fuming too. "Keebler, you annoying brat!"

            Laughing, my brother Alien scrambled into the vents. I was about to follow when Zendrek stopped me. _Let him go. He's just doing it to keep Kaylon's memory alive._

            I nodded. "Yeah."

            Thirty minutes later, Fayka and I were at the part of the nursery that housed the humans we had gathered over the years for hosts. Some of the Chestbursters were due to come out soon, and I wanted to see who would come out.

            The first to wriggle out of a human's chest was a Soldier. You could tell by how big he was. He sniffed us, then ran off to look for food without a word. Several more soldiers erupted from their hosts, and a handful of others wormed their way out. I knew none of them.

            "Is that it?" I asked Fayka.

            _Yeah, I think so_, she replied. _Let's go._

            There was a gurgling scream, and we turned to see the chest of a human soldier (from a while back) burst open, and a Chestburster dropped from it. He sniffed us, then curled his bloody form against my leg.

            _You thought I was dead for good, huh?_ the Chestburster said in a faint, sleepy-sounding thought-voice.

            There were tears in my eyes. I scooped up the little worm and hugged him tightly.

            _OW! That hurts, Gemini!_ he squealed.

            Laughing, Fayka and I exited the nursery with the Chestburster in my arms. "Well," I said, "get used to it. I missed you so much, Kaylon."

            _Yeah,_ he said drowsily. _I missed you too…all of you…_

~~

            One week later…

            Jack Horrigan stepped into his sister's house with his suitcase in one hand and a shoulder bag in the other. He looked around. "Geez…this place hasn't changed a bit…"

            "Jack!" exclaimed Sarah—his sister—as she came in from the kitchen. "I'm so glad you could come before Peter's birthday!"

            Jack smiled and hugged his sister absently, dropping his stuff on the floor. "So. Where is the little tyke, anyway?"

            "He's in the backyard, playing with his toys." She left for the kitchen again. "Oh, and put your stuff in the guest room!"

            Shaking his head, Jack picked up his stuff again and dropped them in his room. _This place hasn't changed at all_, he said to himself as he wandered into the backyard. In the little sandbox in the middle of the yard, Peter was playing with a toy tank and rolling it on the sands.

            "Hey, Peter, what're you doing?" asked Jack, sitting next to his nephew.

            "Oh, hi, Unca Jack," greeted the boy. "I'm pwaying wid my tanks."

            "I can see that. So…why are all those men lying in front of the tank?" He pointed to the line of plastic soldiers on their backs in the sand.

            "Because dey didn't lissen to da genewal and got in big twubble."

            Jack leaned closer to his nephew. "Just between you and me, but I didn't listen to my general."

            Peter's eyes widened. "You didn't? Did you get in twubble?"

            "At first. But then my general died."

            Peter looked at his toys laid out in front of him. He picked up the plastic general and placed it on the sand in front of the tank. The boy then took the other three soldiers and put them aside. Finally, he took his toy tank and rolled it over the plastic general. Peter looked up at his uncle. "Like dat?"

            Jack laughed. "No, not really."

            Peter pouted. "Den how, Unca Jack?" He jumped on his uncle and exclaimed, "Tell me! Tell me!"

            Jack disentangled Peter from his shoulders and put him down on his lap. "Well, Peter… Let's just say…I made a few friends during my time on Kirin."

            "Bad friends?"

            Smiling, Jack shook his head. "No. _Good_ friends."

~~

*          *          *

_Author's Note_: It's not over yet, so just sit tight till the last chapter! Oh, and BTW, Peter is Mitchell's son, so Jack and Mitchell are really brothers-in-law! Freaky, huh?


	10. Epilogue

_Author's Note_: This is it! The final chapter of _The Chosen_! A little note before you read: the ending (as in, the very end of this chapter) is somewhat…unreal. I mean, it's not what you'd expect. Please do not say you hated this story because of the ending I just _had_ to write, because I like it as it is. So DEAL WITH IT.

*          *          *

Epilogue

~~

_Five years later…_

            Eight-year-old Peter H. Mitchell ran down the stairs of his home and dashed to the front door. "Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack!"

            Jack Horrigan turned around just in time to see his nephew pounce on him. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

            "You're leaving, and I wanna say goodbye!"

            "That's right." Jack let Peter slide to the floor. He knelt down and put his hands on his nephew's shoulders. "Now, look after your mom, okay, Peter?"

            "Don't worry," said the boy. "Are you going back to see your friends?"

            "Yes. I told them I would go back some day."

            "Tell them I said hi. And please visit Dad's grave for me."

            Jack smiled. "I will." He stood up and tousled Peter's blonde hair. "See you later." He walked off with his stuff, leaving the eight-year-old boy to wave at his retreating back.

            Carefully and quietly, Jack stepped into the dark and eerie hallways of the Hive. He had his flashlight in one hand and his motion tracker in the other. He carried no weapons; just those two items and a bag over his shoulder.

            There was a sudden movement, and Jack whirled around. His flashlight's beam fell upon the head of an adult Alien. He switched on his speech translator and then said, "It's me, Jack. Jack Horrigan."

            The Alien tilted its head at him. _…Jack? Is that really you?_

            "Yeah. Sorry—I don't know who you are."

            _That's because I was really small when you were last here. I'm Poorah, remember?_

            Jack almost dropped his flashlight. "Poorah! You're…really big now."

            _I know. You know, Jack…the Queen died a year after you left._

            "Oh…I'm so sorry…"

_            It's okay, because we have a new Queen now. …I presume you want to see Gemini?_

            "Sure. Why not?"

            _Okay. Follow me._

            Poorah led Jack through several hallways before they emerged in the nursery. Both of them bowed before the Queen, then Jack turned to Poorah. "Where's Gemini?"

            _You just bowed to her._

            Jack stepped back and looked up at the Queen Alien. "Good grief…"

            Her Majesty reared up to her full height. _Hi, Jack. It's good to see you again._

~~

*          *          *

_Author's Note_: Told ya. Anyway, I'll take this time to respond to a few of your…complaints.

1: Artistic license, stated at the end of chapter two. *glares at everyone who complained about "too human" Aliens*

2: One of you (can't remember who) said that they treated Gemini like a six-year-old… Whoops, my bad. But hey, if you were a Marines and you just stumbled upon a teenager not seen for thirteen years, and she was raised by Aliens, wouldn't you be a _little_ skeptical about how much she really knows? I mean, all she's done is read _books_. Those books haven't been updated for thirteen years! I don't think someone from Earth would just suddenly pop up and replace those with newer copies. I rest my case.

3: Yeah, I haven't updated for a while… Cut me a little slack! Either you don't have school, or don't know how hard school can be, or you expect too much from me! A good author is a normal person, too. I had a Literature test and a Science quiz today. Just be glad this fanfic's at its end. (Then again, I am kinda sorry this is over…I'll miss writing this…)


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